Tag Archives: #Awareness

World Rabies Day: September 28th, 2018

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Rabies, a viral disease that is mainly transmitted by an infected animal bite, is a 100% preventable disease. However, it is still major a public health problem with one death reported every 15 minutes worldwide. Therefore, to raise awareness regarding the burden of rabies, and to unite efforts for its prevention and control, 28th September is celebrated globally as World Rabies Day. This day also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. Celebrating the World Rabies Day serves a reminder that our fight against this deadly disease is far from over.

The first World Rabies Day was observed in 2007, which was a collaboration between the Global Alliance for Rabies Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, with the co-sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Pan American Health Organization. It proved to be an extremely successful campaign, and by 2009, nearly 100 million people worldwide had been educated about rabies and ~3 million dogs had been vaccinated (as estimated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control). On the last World Rabies Day in 2017, several major health organizations, including WHO, OIE, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pledged to eliminate human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.

The World Rabies Day has been identified as an important tool that can assist in rabies prevention by educating and mobilizing at-risk communities, animal health workers, public health practitioners, governments, key opinion leaders, and experts. Today, we have safe and efficacious animal and human vaccines that can eliminate human deaths from rabies; however, lack of awareness is the major roadblock in successfully engaging communities for rabies prevention. Rabies prevention and control has two broad components: animal rabies control and human rabies prevention. Pictorial description of both are shown in Figure 1.

 

 

Figure 1          Rabies prevention and control

The World Rabies Day campaign has a centralized online platform where groups can register their World Rabies Day events and download resources, in print and online, that can support their message for rabies prevention. Moreover, since rabies is a disease that can easily cross borders, especially in wild animal populations, the campaign encourages trans‑national collaboration of rabies control and prevention. The World Rabies Day logo represents the complexity of rabies, which can infect human beings, wildlife and domestic animals, and therefore, needs an interdisciplinary approach to control it.

Overall, the World Rabies Day is a campaign for education, awareness, and action to encourage organizations across all levels-international and local-to increase the spread of messages for rabies prevention. With this blog, Turacoz Healthcare Solutions (a medical communication company) aim to raise awareness about rabies prevention and highlight progress in defeating this animal transmitted viral disease.

World Down Syndrome Day – Let Them Be Heard!

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World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. Every year it is observed on 21 March with the same zeal and enthusiasm. On this day, people with Down syndrome and their close friends and acquaintances throughout the world organize and participate in events to raise public awareness.

Why the Date March 21?

The date for this day was selected being the 21st day of the 3rd month to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which is the cause of Down syndrome.

Who Manages WDSD Platform?

The WDSD website is managed by the charity organization, Down Syndrome International (DSi). DSi created this platform as a single global meeting place where everyone can share their experiences, advertise their activities and participate in DSi’s WDSD initiatives. The website is a hub of activity taking place around 21 March each year. DSi, a global network of individuals and organizations from all over the world, is committed to improve the quality of life of people affected by Down syndrome and advocating their inherent right to be accepted.

What is the WDSD-Theme this year?

Each year DSi takes up a theme to champion the cause of Down syndrome. The theme for WDSD this year, My Voice, My Community, has been taken up to encourage people with Down syndrome, and their supporters to speak their mind, and let their voice influence government policy and action, to ensure that they can be included, on a full and equal basis with others, in all aspects of society.

What is Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always been a part of the human condition, being universally present across racial, gender or socioeconomic lines, and affecting approximately 1 in a few hundred live births, although there is considerable variation worldwide. Per an estimate given by the United Nations, the incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Down syndrome usually causes varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability and associated medical issues.

 

DSi encourages people all over the world to help raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, and how people affected with this disorder play a vital role in our lives and communities. Turacoz Healthcare Solutions, as a part of its corporate social responsibility, joins hands with DSi to raise awareness about Down syndrome and for the well-being of the affected people. Our aim is to communicate our concern and draw more people to be a part of this campaign for those who need our help.